Billy Hunter
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1953-1958)
Billy Hunter was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1958 for 5 teams, including the St. Louis Browns, a span of 6 seasons. In 630 career games, he hit .219 with 410 hits, 16 home runs, and 144 RBI. Billy Hunter was an All-Star.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 7/3/2025 in Lutherville, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1953-04-14
- Last Game
- 1958-09-27
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Gordon William Hunter
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 630 | 1,875 | 166 | 410 | 58 | 18 | 16 | 144 | 23 | 111 | 192 | .219 | .264 | .294 | .559 | -7,117 |
Career AVG .219 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 15.8% below league average.
Career OBP .264 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 20.0% below league average.
Career SLG .294 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 25.3% below league average.
Career OPS .559 vs. league average .724 across their career seasons — 22.9% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | SLA | AL | 154 | 567 | 50 | 124 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 3 | 24 | 45 | .219 | .264 (-17%) | .335 (-25%) | .397 (-35%) | .733 (-30%) | -2796.9 |
| 1954 | BAL | AL | 125 | 411 | 28 | 100 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 5 | 21 | 38 | .243 | .261 (-7%) | .333 (-16%) | .390 (-22%) | .723 (-19%) | -1310.2 |
| 1955 | NYA | AL | 98 | 255 | 14 | 58 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 9 | 15 | 18 | .227 | .258 (-12%) | .332 (-19%) | .393 (-24%) | .726 (-22%) | -913.3 |
| 1956 | NYA | AL | 39 | 75 | 8 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .280 | .258 (+8%) | .331 (-10%) | .397 (+7%) | .728 (avg) | -48.3 |
| 1957 | KC1 | AL | 116 | 319 | 39 | 61 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 29 | 1 | 27 | 43 | .191 | .257 (-26%) | .323 (-20%) | .391 (-17%) | .715 (-19%) | -1000.4 |
| 1958 | KC1 | AL | 22 | 58 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 7 | .155 | .257 (-40%) | .324 (-32%) | .394 (-21%) | .719 (-26%) | -252.5 |
| 1958 | CLE | AL | 76 | 190 | 21 | 37 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 37 | .195 | .257 (-24%) | .324 (-19%) | .394 (-32%) | .719 (-26%) | -252.5 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 630 | 1,875 | 166 | 410 | 58 | 18 | 16 | 144 | 23 | 111 | 192 | .219 | — | — | — | — | -6,574 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (630 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 314 | 902 | 85 | 192 | 10 | 79 | .213 |
| Away | 316 | 973 | 81 | 218 | 6 | 65 | .224 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-09-27 | CLE | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958-09-26 | CLE | DET | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-09-23 | CLE | KC1 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-09-20 | CLE | DET | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-09-19 | CLE | DET | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1958-09-16 | CLE | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-09-14 | CLE | BAL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-09-06 | CLE | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1958-09-03 | CLE | KC1 | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-09-01 | CLE | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 72 | 66 | 125 | 170 | 7 | 46 |
| 3B | 24 | 12 | 20 | 29 | 2 | 4 |
| SS | 528 | 319 | 877 | 1438 | 101 | 325 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | SLA | SS | 152 | 0 | 284 | 512 | 25 | 99 |
| 1954 | BAL | SS | 124 | 121 | 249 | 333 | 32 | 76 |
| 1955 | NYA | SS | 98 | 91 | 115 | 249 | 16 | 60 |
| 1956 | NYA | 3B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 1956 | NYA | SS | 32 | 19 | 49 | 58 | 0 | 20 |
| 1957 | KC1 | 2B | 64 | 58 | 111 | 152 | 7 | 40 |
| 1957 | KC1 | 3B | 17 | 10 | 18 | 22 | 2 | 2 |
| 1957 | KC1 | SS | 35 | 23 | 46 | 89 | 9 | 19 |
| 1958 | KC1 | 2B | 8 | 8 | 14 | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| 1958 | KC1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958 | KC1 | SS | 12 | 9 | 10 | 32 | 3 | 4 |
| 1958 | CLE | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958 | CLE | SS | 75 | 56 | 124 | 165 | 16 | 47 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 72 |
| Third Base | 24 |
| Shortstop | 529 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana | PA | 1947 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Billy Hunter (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Billy Hunter: the record in brief
Billy Hunter's major league career runs from a debut on April 14, 1953 to a final game on September 27, 1958. By club, Hunter's seasons break down as the St. Louis Browns (1953), the Baltimore Orioles (1954), the New York Yankees (1955 to 1956), the Kansas City Athletics (1957 to 1958), and the Cleveland Indians (1958). Born on June 4, 1928, in Punxsutawney, PA, USA, Hunter is listed as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds. The bio records the death on July 3, 2025, in Lutherville, MD, USA. The given name on file is Gordon William Hunter.
Hunter's career batting table shows 630 games, 1,875 at bats and 410 hits, a .219 average, adding 16 home runs, 144 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .264 and .294 give Hunter a career OPS of .559. Set against a .260 league average for the same years, Hunter's .219 average sits 15.8% below it. The OPS comparison is .559 to a league .724, 22.9% below average. Hunter collected a career-high 124 hits in 1953.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Hunter
- What years did Billy Hunter play?
- Billy Hunter played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1958.
- Was Billy Hunter a pitcher?
- No. Billy Hunter was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Billy Hunter hit?
- Billy Hunter hit 16 career home runs with 410 hits.
- What was Billy Hunter's career batting average?
- Billy Hunter batted .219 over his career, with 410 hits in 1,875 at bats.
- How many RBI did Billy Hunter have?
- Billy Hunter drove in 144 runs in his career.
- Is Billy Hunter in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy Hunter has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.